It's not a bird and it's not Superman, but what is it?

Excuse the poor photo… but: What is This???

A big blue sky :grin:

Looks like an Airbus Buluga
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I thought it might be a Beluga but I don’t think they’re in service nowadays.

It was a total surprise to see this overhead… Just seen Wozza’s reply and reckon we’re both ontrack.

I think 3 are still in service but it could well be a Airbus Beluga XL, the originals are 27 years old.

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They can be seen in the skies around Blagnac (Toulouse) quite regularly…delivering parts for Airbus.

It’s a Beluga. My favourite aircraft. Look to the left on the motorised walkway as you head to the gates airside from Duty Free at Toulouse and there’s usually 2 of them parked on the other side of the airfield.

Someone said AirBus uses them to ship parts around.

If it has two eyes and a smiley mouth it is one of the four Airbus A330-743L Beluga XL transporters. They range from 3 years old to brand new.
If not, it is one of the five older Airbus A300-608ST Belugas. They range from 21 to 27 years old.

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Ship fuselages and wings I think. Are Airbus wings still manufactured in the UK?

Filton in Bristol and Broughton manufacturer all but one planes wings, around 9000 jobs I think in total in the UK.

One way or another it’s a Beluga… too far away so can’t see the eyes and smiley mouth.

but I’d say we found the solution… yippee…

thanks everyone for the input…

Depending upon when you saw this plane, it could have been one of the Beluga’s flying into Bordeaux to be mothballed.
There was a lightly informative article published online about it: Happening Now - 26.6 years Old First Airbus Beluga Super Transporteur heads for Storage at Bordeaux Boneyards !

We saw it the same day I posted the photo and it was flying Northwards ( in the opposite direction to Bordeaux)

So it must have been one of the surviving two planes, probably returning to Toulouse.

We actually saw the Bordeaux Beluga outside a hanger on the far side of Bordeaux Airport just before Christmas. That’s what clicked when I saw your post.

Cheers,

Dave Southern

24800

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Saw six Belugas today at Toulouse Blagnac airport. There were four parked in a row numbered 3, 3XL, 4XL and 5 on the tail. Another was unloading and another XL whose number I couldn’t see was parked with new aircraft ready for delivery and may have been new.

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Any pictures :sunglasses:

Sorry, no piccies. I was in departures in the terminal building on my way to LHR. Didn’t have my tablet on me as it was in hold luggage.

Just looked online and XL4 was only commissioned in July 2021, and two more are to be built.

I wonder if xl-5 will be rocket powered ?